Valve mechanism for explosive-engines.



PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905.

J. KERNS. VALVE MECHANISM FOR BXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLIOATION' FILED FEB 29. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

QXMMuom wen- PATENIEDIMAR. 21, 1905.

v J. KERNS. VAL E MECHANISM FOR BXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APILIOATIOII FILED FEB. 29, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

c izana Wihwoow of Fig. 1.

UNITED STATES Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAM-Es KERNS, 0F nEFIANcnomo, lAssIcNoR TO MODEL cAs ENGINE COMPANXZOF AUBURN, INDIANA, A CORPORATION.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR EXPLOSlVE-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 785,108, dated March 21, 7.905.

' Applicationfiled February 29, 1904. Serial No. 195.876.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be itkno-wn that I, JAMEs KERNS, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Defiance, in the county of Defiance and State of Ohio, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve Mechanism for Explosive-Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to valve mechanism for explosive-engines of the four-cycle compression t e, and particularly to exhaustvalve mec anism for controlling the exhaust ofthe s ent gases.

The 0 j ect of the invention is to provide aner'rhaust-valve which will be automatically operated to open the exhaust-port by the ressure of the exhaustrgases and which w 1 be accurately balanced through the action of the piston of the engine to make theoperation thereof at all times sensitive and reliable durin the running of the engine.

ln the accompanying drawings, showing one embodiment of my invention, Figure l is a top plan View of the cylinder and associated parts of a gas-engine e uipped with the invention. Fi 2 isan elevation looking toward the woi ldng end thereof, and Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudlnal section on the line 3 3 Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the cylinder of the engine, in which reoiprocates the'piston 2, and

3 is the suction-valve casing, which'is designed to communicate with a suitable source of as-supply (not shown) throu h a port 4 and wlnch communicates with t 1e workmg end of the cylinder through a combined ad' mission and exhaust port or assage 5. The suction-valve 6 opens inwar ly into the said passage {3 to admit -a charge of an'explosive mlxtureunto the cylinder when the iston is on its suction-stroke and is rovide with a stem}, suitably guided in t e casing 3 and threaded at its outer end to receive an adjusting nut or sleeve 8 and a check--nut 9, the said; nut or sleeve 8 serving to regulate the tension of the spring 10, which normally forces the stem outwardlyv to hold the valve in'its closed position. The exhaust-valve 11' also opens into the passage 5 and governs an exhaust-passage-lZ, which has-an outlet at 13' to the atmosphere or'a suitable escapepipe and which is in communication with the exhaust end of the cylinder through a channel or passage 14, whose function Wlll be hereinafter described. The valve 11 is carriedblyl a stem 15, one (the upper) end 15 of whic crosses the passage 5 and is provided with a piston 16, operating in a cage or cylinder 17, mounted in "a chamber 18, formed upon the cylinder, the inner end of said cage or cylinder being in open communication with said passage 5. Preferably the piston 16 is made ollow or chambered to lighten it and to form a socket toreceive the inner end of a coiled valve closing spring 17, the outer end of whichis acted ii on by a set-screw 18,whereby the tension 0 the spring may be regulated to oppose more or less resistance to the open ing of the valve. The said set screw 15 ,Inouhted upon a plate or head 19, secured by screws 20 to and closing the outer end of the cage 17. These screws'arc also employed to secure theca e to the wall of the chamber '1 5, so that the plate 19 maybe removed to sccure access to said piston 16 and spring 17 and so that the cage itself may also be removed when occasion requires. The piston lfiis made of somewhat smaller area than the exhaust-valve, so as to allow 7 just en ugh more pressure on the valve to hold it on its A seat... Owing to this preponderance of sizeof the valve, the valve could not be removed through the piston cage or cylinder 17 if the latter were a fixed part of the engine; butby r'emovably mounting said cage or cylinder 17 the exhaust-valve and associated parts may upon the detachment of the cylinder be withdrawn through the chamber 18. c 'linder may be entirely vater-jackcted, s own, tokeep it cool.

The oppositeor lower end 15 of the stem 15 extends down through the. passage 12 and into the outlet 13 and works in a suitable guide or partition 20, below which is an open- The cage or ing to admit access to said passageand outlet, said opening being closed by a removable plate 21. A flap-valve or damper 22 is disposed in the outlet 13 above saidplate and is adapted to 'be inserted and removed through the said opening covered thereby; This valve ordamper is pivoted at its inner end, as shown at 23, below the lower end of the guide or par tition20 and rests at its free end upon the bottom wall of the outlet 13 beyond the outer end of the opening, whereby said valve normally has an inclined position and closes the outlet 13. Adjacent to its pivot23 the valve" is provided with a boss 24, which engages the extremity of the lower portion 15 of the stem 15, so that said stem Wlll raise and lower with the valve.

. The operation is as follows: Assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the piston 2 is represented as beginning its Working stroke, it will be understood that when the piston reaches the end of said stroke it will uncover the. port 14, leading to theexhaust-pzissage 14,

so that a portion of the exhaust-gases will flow from the cylinder to the discharge-passage 12 and outlet 13,"and thus equalize the pressure on both sidesof the valve 11, thus placing the same in condition to be opened entering the passage 12' and outlet 13 from the passage 14 will expend its forces in two directions-namely, on the underside of the valve 11 and under side of, the damper or valve 22,such forces producinga pressure on said valve greater than that-of the pressure of the spring 17, whereby the valve 22 will 'be elevated with the valve 11 and will supplement the lifting action of the gases directly acting thereon to raise said valve 11,-

' so that the gases in the cylinder 1 may exhaust throu the passage 5, passage 12, and

outlet 13, the valve 22 being held in upraised closure of the exhaust'and allowing the piston 2 on its next working stroke to open the valve 6 to draw in a fresh charge of thecxplosive mixture for the ensuing explosion to again drive it out on its next working stroke.

It will thus be seen that in the operation of v the engine the (pressure of the exhaust-gases will be utilize to open the exhaust-valve and maintain it in open position until all of y a comparatively small amountof pressure on the side contiguous thestem portion 15*. Thatp'ortion of the'exhaustgases against-their seats, thereby restablishing struction and arrangement of the parts set forth the exhaustevalve issensitively balanced, so that it.twill..operate with a minimum expenditure of force and will not partially close or chatter on its seat during-the exhaust of the spent gases.

From the fore omg description, taken in connection with t e accompanying drawings,

the-construction and operation of the in'ven 'tion will. 'be readilymnd-erstood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of the construction may be. made without departin from the s irit or sacrificing any of the a vantages, o the invention.

For instance, any other suitable form of adjusting device may be employed in lieu of the set-screw 18 to regulate the tension of the spring '17. s Said spring maybe arranged below instead of above the exhaust-valve,

and any other suitable equivalent means may be employed to open the valve under the ressure'of the exhaust in a substantially ilar manner. Having thus described my invention,what I -claim, and desire to secure by'Lette'rs Pat'- ent,is 1 1. In a-gas-engine, the combination of a cylinder provided with an opening in its working end,'an admission-port, a passage communicating between said admission-port and the opening in the worlring end d the piston,- a valve governing'said inlet portion,

a discharge-port communicating with said passage between the inletport and the open? ng in the workin end of the piston, an ex- IOC haust-passage lea ing from the opposite end of the cylinder'and havin an outlet end communicating with said ischargeport,- a

valve.v governing spid discharge-port, an' aux' iliary cynnder,a piston operating in'said aux-" .iliary cylinder and in communication with the passage, said piston and valve controlling the outlet-port being so proportioned v that a preponderatingpressure normally exists onthe adjoining si e of the valve to hold it closed, a valve governing thevoutlet of the Y exhaust passage and adapted to actuate-said piston and discharge-valve, and a piston op;

e'ratingin the cylinder and ada ted to con trol the exhaust-passe e-anda mit pre on derating pressure to t valve. i r

2. In va gas-engin a-c linder withan opening in itswor g en" an admission-valve casing, a passage connecting said admission-valve casmg'with the opening in the Working end of thecylinder a piston operating in said cylinder, a second cylinder communicating. with said passage, a piston operating in said second cylinder, -an exhaustconduit also communicating with saidpassage, a su ply connection between the o posite end '0? the first-named or main 'e under side 0 therovided 65 said gases have escaped and that by the coni cylin er and the exhaust-passage, said sup- -13 ply connection being controlled by the main piston, an exhaust-valve governing communication between the aforesaid opening and exhaust-passage and exposed to pres sure in the said passage connecting-the ad- .1nission-port with the opening in the working side of the cylinder, a valve-stem connectingsaid valve with the secondary pistonto move in unison therewith, means acting on said piston to oppose the opening ofthe valve, and means operated by the exhaust gases from the supply connection to operate said stem against said resistance.

3. In an engine, a main cylinder provided in its working end with an opening, a secondarycylinder in communication with said opening, an exhaust-passage also. communi-' .cating With the opening, an exhaust-valve overning the exhaust of the spent gases lrom the c linder to the exhaust- 'assa e, a

y P g piston. connected to sald valveand movlng aving a boss upon its upper surface, said valve normally closing the exhaust-passage and adapted to be actuated by the pressure of the dlscharging spent gases to open said passage and to impart movement. tosaid stem, the latter normally resting upon the boss of theflap-valve, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set o my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES KERNS.-

Witnesses:

' J. A. Moorin,

GEO. 'T. FARRELL. 

